The ability to fly is one of mankind’s greatest
achievements. For thousands of years, people have
watched birds and wondered what it would be like
to fly and to see the earth from above. People wished
they could magically travel long distances in a short time
or go over mountains without climbing or cross oceans without
sailing on a long voyage. Many clever people attempted to fly
in various contraptions over the years. Some tried balloons and
some tried gliders. Finally, on December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk,
North Carolina, Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the first “airplane.”
Since the invention of the airplane, people can now fly.
Copyright © 1999 by Jerry Pallotta (Author); Fred Stillwell (Author); Rob Bolster (Illustrator). All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.